Sag rod end connection

ABSTRACT

A sag rod for use in the construction of a roof to support purlins with respect to each other is hollow in least at its end portions and has in each end portion at least one latch member which projects laterally through an aperture formed in the side wall of the associated end portion but which is precluded from passing entirely through the aperture. The latch member comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments which define a slot therebetween such that when the sag rod is inserted into an aperture formed in a purlin the periphery of the purlin aperture can be located in the slot to connect the purlin and the sag rod together.

Warburton Dec. 31, 1974 1 1 SAG ROD END CONNECTION [75] Inventor: Derek Esmond Warburton, Sale,

England [73] Assignee: Metal Sections Limited, Oldbury, Warley, Worcestershire, England 22 Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 291,602

[52] US. Cl 403/252, 403/328, 403/329, [51] Int. Cl Fl6b 7/00 [58] Field of Search 287/18935, 189.36 D,

189.36 C; 287/58 R. 58 CT, 59,49, 50, 51 119 R; 292/2l3.2l8; 24/221z248/188 R. 188.4.223; 403/319. 329. 109.328.252

3,409,858 11/1968 Krehbiel 287/119 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 931,731 11/1947 France ..287/189.35

Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-Wayne L. Shedd Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [5 7] ABSTRACT A sag rod for use in the construction of a roof to supportpurlins with respect to each other is hollowin least at its end portions and has in each end portion least one latch member which projects laterally through an aperture formed in the side wall of the associated end portion but which is precluded from passing entirely through the aperture. The latch member comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments which define a slot therebetween such that when the sag rod is inserted into an aperture formed in a purlin the periphery of the purlin aperture can be located in the slot to connect the purlin and the sag rod together.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBEEWW 3.857.646

SHEET 1 [IF 2 PAIEMED E LBS'r'. s46

SHEET 20F 2 FIG?) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a sag rod for use in the construction of a roof to support purlins with respect to each other.

PRIOR TECHNIQUES lins may have to span considerable distances, sagging of the purlins may result. To overcome this it is known to support the purlins with respect to each other by making use of sag rods, and moreover, these sag rods give support to the purlins while the roof is being subjected to uplift loads due to the action of wind. Hitherto, the latter have been fabricated from tubes having external screw-threaded ends which are inserted through apertures formed in the purlins and then located by nut means coacting with the external screwthreads. These sag rods possess the disadvantage that they take a considerable timeto assemble.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sag rod in an improved form.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a sag rod for use in the construction of a roof to support purlins with respect to ach other, said sag rod being hollow at least in its end portion and having in each of the end portions a latch member which projects outwardly through an aperture formed in the side wall of the associated end portion but which is precluded from passing entirely through said aperture, said latch member comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments which define a slot therebetween, the arrangement being such that in use, when the sag rod is inserted into an aperture formed in a purlin the periphery of the purlin aperture can be located in said slot to connect the purlin and the sag rod together.

Preferably, said latch member is acted upon by resilient means.

Desirably, said sag rod has at least end portions which are tubular or of channel-shapped section. Conveniently, said resilient means is in the form of a leaf spring of U-shaped configuration with said latch member being engaged by one side portion of the spring while the other side portion of the spring engages the interior of the associated sag rod end.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partly broken away side view of one embodiment of a sag rod constructed in accordance with the invention, I

FIG. 2 is an end view of the sag rod shown in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a view partly in cross section and partly in elevation showing the latch member located in an aperture in a purlin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings the sag rod 10 shown therein is of hollow tubular form over its entire length. The sag rod has at each of its end portions a latch member denoted generally 11. Each latch member 11 is resiliently biased by a leaf spring 12 bent to U-shaped configuration, with one side portion or leg 13 of the leaf spring being connected to the latch member so that the latter projects laterally through an aperture 14 formed in the end portion of the sag rod, while the other side portion or leg is engaged in the interior of the sag rod. The U-shaped leaf spring may be arranged with its web portion adjacent to (as shown) or remote from the associated end of the sag rod. The latch member is precluded from passing through the aperture 14 by a base portion 16, thereof, as the base portion 16 is of larger dimensions than the corresponding dimensions of the aperture 14.

Each latch member 11 also comprises longitudinally spaced first and second abutments 17, 18 which define a slot 19 therebetween, with the longitudinally spaced first and second abutments 17, 18 being formed integrally with the base portion 16 of the latch member 11 and it is, in fact, the abutments 17, 18 which project outwardly through the aperture 14. The first abutment 17 associated with each latch member, namely that abutment disposed nearer to the adjacent end portion of the sag rod 10 is formed on that portion which is also nearer to said adjacent end portion with a cam or inclined surface 20. The latter is provided so that as one end of the sag rod is inserted into a purlin aperture 21 of a purlin section 22, the dimensions of the aperture 21 being only slightly larger than the cross-sectional dimensions of the sag rod as shown in FIG. 3, then the periphery of the purlin aperture will engage the cam surface 20 to thereby urge the latch member associated with that end portion of the sag rod against the influence of the leaf spring 12 so that the periphery of the purlin aperture 21 can be located in the slot 19 of the latch member 11 after which the leaf spring 12 will return the latch member 11 to its initial position to connect the purlin and the sag rod together.

It will be appreciated that, in use, a sag rod will be used to interconnect a pair of purlins, with one end portion of the sag rod being connected to one of the purlins while the other end portion of the sag rod is connected to the other purlin. To effect such a connection, it will be necessary for the purlins to possess some inherent resilience so that once said one end portion of the sag rod has been connected to said one purlin then the purlins can be deformed to permit connection of said other end portion of the sag rod to said other purlin.

It will be appreciated that the sag rod need not be of tubular form but may instead be of channel-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, it is envisaged that two latch members may be provided at each end of the sag rod. In the latter case, the two latch members could be connected to opposite side portions of a leaf spring so that they project outwardly through oppositely disposed apertures formed in the sag rod.

Moreover, this invention is not limited to the use of leaf springs, but any other convenient resilient means may be used. In addition, although as has been described hereinbefore, the sag rod is inserted into an aperture formed in a purlin, it is to be understood that this aperture may, if desired, be formed in a flange or bracket secured to the purlin, and for the purposes of this specification any such bracket or flange is to be taken as forming part of the purlin to which it is secured.

I claim:

1. A sag rod for use in the construction of a roof for supporting purlins with respect to each other in which the purlin has an aperture, the dimensions of which are only slightly greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the sag rod, said sag rod being hollow at least in its end portions and having in each of the end portions a latch member which projects laterally through an aperture formed in the side wall of the associated hollow end portion, said latch member including a base portion disposed within said hollow end portion and which is of larger dimensions than the dimensions of the aperture in the side wall so as to be retained within the hollow end portion, and laterally projecting longitudinally spaced first and second abutments of different heights integral with the base portion and which are disposed on the exterior of the associated hollow end portion, said first and second abutments defining there 4 s between an open-ended slot extending inwardly from the outer lateral edge of the latch member, said first abutment which is nearer the adjacent end of the sag rod having on its outer lateral edge a cam surface inclined to the longitudinal axisof the sag rod so that the end of the cam surface nearer to the adjacent end of the sag rod is also nearer to the-longitudinal axis of the sag rod than the other end of the cam surface, and resilient means located within the associated hollow end portion engaging the base portion of the latch member for urging the latch member into the position projecting laterally through the aperture, yet permitting the latch member to move temporarily inwardly with respect to the aperture on engagement of the cam surface with a roof purlin, whereby when the rod is inserted into the aperture in the purlin, the periphery of the purlin aperture will engage said cam surface to urge the latch member against the action of the resilient means so that the periphery of the purlin aperture can be located in the slot after which the resilient means returns the latch member to its initial position to connect the purlin'and rod together. 

1. A sag rod for use in the construction of a roof for sUpporting purlins with respect to each other in which the purlin has an aperture, the dimensions of which are only slightly greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the sag rod, said sag rod being hollow at least in its end portions and having in each of the end portions a latch member which projects laterally through an aperture formed in the side wall of the associated hollow end portion, said latch member including a base portion disposed within said hollow end portion and which is of larger dimensions than the dimensions of the aperture in the side wall so as to be retained within the hollow end portion, and laterally projecting longitudinally spaced first and second abutments of different heights integral with the base portion and which are disposed on the exterior of the associated hollow end portion, said first and second abutments defining therebetween an openended slot extending inwardly from the outer lateral edge of the latch member, said first abutment which is nearer the adjacent end of the sag rod having on its outer lateral edge a cam surface inclined to the longitudinal axis of the sag rod so that the end of the cam surface nearer to the adjacent end of the sag rod is also nearer to the longitudinal axis of the sag rod than the other end of the cam surface, and resilient means located within the associated hollow end portion engaging the base portion of the latch member for urging the latch member into the position projecting laterally through the aperture, yet permitting the latch member to move temporarily inwardly with respect to the aperture on engagement of the cam surface with a roof purlin, whereby when the rod is inserted into the aperture in the purlin, the periphery of the purlin aperture will engage said cam surface to urge the latch member against the action of the resilient means so that the periphery of the purlin aperture can be located in the slot after which the resilient means returns the latch member to its initial position to connect the purlin and rod together. 